House of Hades

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Hades

“	The House of Hades: That dark and lavishly appointed lair of the Underworld's King is home not just to him, but to his willful progeny.	„
	~ Narrator

The House of Hades is located in the deepest depths of the underworld. It is the personal estate of Lord Hades, who resides here with his family and staff. The floor plan of the House was designed by Daedalus. Shades are often seen milling about complaining about their lives and deaths, or forming part of the procession Hades tends to as part of his duties.

Many characters can be found and spoken with here, although not all may be present at any given time. Megaera will only be present in the House after an escape attempt in which she was killed; the same is true of Thanatos, once he returns to the underworld. Lord Hades may not appear after a run that reaches his fight. Sometimes characters will already be having conversations when Zagreus returns - if this is the case then he can only eavesdrop, and cannot give either character Nectar or Ambrosia. However, if Zagreus enters his room, and returns to the foyer, the characters will no longer be talking, and he can gift them Nectar, although he cannot have a conversation with them.

There is apparently a rule against violence within the House, as Megaera is not permitted to harm Zagreus (no matter how much she might like to). This may be part of why neither Tisiphone nor Alecto are permitted within the House; both Achilles and Megaera claim neither of them have "earned the right". Achilles further states that the two have no desire to "exist here with the rest of us", and their less-sensible dispositions makes them more suited elsewhere.

Codex entry[]

'...Having been appointed by the Fates to reign beneath the earth for eternity, the Master was awarded a permanent place of residence at the base of his domain, in addition to a wide variety of responsibilities to the dead. I have only heard tales of Olympus, and its glorious heights, its shining columns, its feasts... the House of Hades, I imagine, must be more or less the opposite on every front. The Master spares no kind words for his family's mountain abode, and notes instead the many ways in which his House is far more functional, superior even. Certainly, the House is well-enough appointed, and accommodates not just the Master, but some of his close associates and aides, myself included. I understand this place existed in a form even before the Master settled here. But certainly, he has made it his own, and we all feel his influence in every corner.'

Great Hall[]

The Pool of Styx, watched over by Hypnos, is located in the House's foyer. It is from this pool that Zagreus emerges whenever he dies in the underworld; according to Hypnos, only House staff and guests of honor can use the Pool in this manner.

Following the foyer is the office and throne of Lord Hades, where he does paperwork and holds court for the shades with petty complaints and petitions. Beside him rests Cerberus, who lounges languidly in the Great Hall when he is not called to block the Exit Door of the Temple of Styx from Zagreus. To the left of Lord Hades is the House Contractor and, after his sentence has been paid off by Prince Zagreus, the court musician Orpheus.

While the House Contractor will always be found here after it is unlocked, Cerberus, Hypnos, and Orpheus will sometimes be absent on break. After an escape attempt in which Zagreus reached the Temple but did not clear it, Cerberus and/or Lord Hades may also be absent. Lord Hades will always be absent from the Hall after an attempt in which Zagreus fell during the final boss fight.

West Wing[]

This long hallway connects the Great Hall of the House to the Administrative Chamber and Hades' bedroom. This region can be augmented with rugs, sculptures, seating and paintings purchased from the House Contractor. Outside of the Lord's personal chambers is a viewing area which contains an assortment of urns and other decorations from the various regions of the Underworld.

Achilles vigilantly guards the hallway to prevent shades from going where they are not permitted, unless he is on break.

Dusa can sometimes be found merrily dusting somewhere along the hallway.

When Thanatos is within the House, he can be found brooding near a balcony outside the Administrative Chamber which overlooks the River Styx, unless he is conversing with other characters.

After Persephone returns to the House of Hades, Zagreus will be granted access to Hades' bedroom. A few runs after this, the Resource Director will appear inside the room, allowing Zagreus to arbitrarily spend resources for new ranks of badges.

East Wing[]

A short hallway leads from the Great Hall to the Lounge and Zagreus' bedchambers. This region can be augmented with new flooring colors and flower vases from the House Contractor in the Great Hall tab.

Dusa can sometimes be found dusting in the eastern end of this hallway.

Nyx can typically be found watching the House here, floating next to the entryway to Zagreus' room.

Before the Lounge is reopened, Megaera is occasionally found standing on the opposite side of the entryway to Nyx after a run in which she was defeated.

Lounge[]

This expansive kitchen and dining room is where shades and House staff alike can relax for a time during their eternal stay in the Underworld. This region can be augmented with a plethora of upgrades including kitchen renovations, rugs, and a shortcut from the House Contractor.

In rare cases, Achilles can be found here while on his break.

Dusa can sometimes be found here dusting in various locations.

The Head Chef, a tall shade wearing a fitting hat, can be found in the kitchen area. He rewards you with Gemstones, Chthonic Keys, Nectar, Diamonds, Titan Blood, or Ambrosia depending on your fishing haul in the previous run.

Megaera is sometimes standing next to a table here, either after a run in which she was killed, or randomly if either of her sisters was defeated instead.

The Wretched Broker is sequestered here in his well-stocked stall in the eastern corner.

Administrative Chamber[]

This chamber is first seen in a flashback dream from before Zagreus tried to escape, in which he blunders his way through a work shift overseen by his lord father. Afterwards, he can buy back his privileges to enter the chamber through the House Contractor. Though no characters will enter this place, the shades doing bureaucratic work for the House found here will react negatively to Zagreus' entrance.

Among the many things found here are the Eldest Sigil, Permanent Record, Security Log, and the Water Cooler (filled with the 'waters' of the River Styx)

The Eldest Sigil is used by Lord Hades to teleport throughout his realm to meet Zagreus in battle, should he reach the surface. Another use for the sigil is discovered during Nyx's Favor.

The Permanent Record tracks the aggregate information about Zagreus' escape attempts. It lists how many times he has used and escaped with each of his weapons, how many times he has accepted each Olympian boon, how many times he has taken each Daedalus hammer upgrade, which weapon aspects he has used (other than his own), and how many times he has used each keepsake/companion.

The Security Log accurately records information about each of Zagreus' various escape attempts. This information includes: the attempt number; its outcome; how long it took; how much heat was used; what weapon (and aspect), keepsake, and companion he used; and an exact list of his boons and their levels.

Garden[]

The garden is unlocked after Persephone's return to the house. It serves as a location for conversations between Zagreus, Hades and Persephone.

After the epilogue, a statue of Mount Olympus built by Hephaestus is placed in the far end of the garden.